Kayla Thornton's career-high 29 points power Valkyries past Sky and Angel Reese

San Francisco Chronicle​

3 hours ago

With Kayla Thornton at the free-throw line with 47 seconds to play, a soft chant wafted down from the Chase Center crowd.
'MVP. MVP. MVP.'
Thornton isn't going to be in MVP consideration, but she could very well be a WNBA All-Star. In the Golden State Valkyries' 83-78 win over the Chicago Sky on Friday night, Thornton broke her career-high in scoring for the third time this season, tallying 29 points in the ugly victory.
Over Thornton's last eight games, she is averaging 19.5 points per game and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 45.9% from the floor and 40.4% from 3-point range. She has scored at least 20 points in four of those eight games after doing it six times ever in her previous 309 contests.
Thornton leads the Valkyries in points (15.9), rebounds (7.1), field-goals made (5.2), and steals (1.7), all while averaging 30.5 minutes per game. In the franchise's first season, the 10-year veteran has been exactly what the Valkyries need.
'It was not our greatest start, we kind of struggled,' Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said. 'We learned on KT, we said 'Hey, just, can we hear your voice a little louder? ' And then boom, she responds, and you saw her out there commanding, but also supporting. Because when we're not playing our best, we need to hear some support. So that's what we lean on KT, we completely rely on KT.'
Valkyries 83, Sky 78
Percentages: FG .371, FT .684.
3-Point Goals: 13-33, .394 (Nurse 5-11, Banham 3-6, Atkins 2-6, Reese 1-2, Van Lith 1-2, Allen 1-6).
Team Rebounds: 10. Team Turnovers: None.
Blocked Shots: 4 (Allen 2, Atkins 2).
Turnovers: 11 (Reese 3, Atkins 2, Allen, Banham, Nurse, Onyenwere, Van Lith, Williams).
Steals: 7 (Onyenwere 3, Atkins 2, Reese, Williams).
Technical Fouls: Nurse, 6:44 second.
Percentages: FG .377, FT .690.
3-Point Goals: 11-30, .367 (Thornton 4-7, Martin 3-7, Bibby 2-4, Chen 1-1, Hayes 1-5, Billings 0-1, Burton 0-2, Talbot 0-3).
Team Rebounds: 10. Team Turnovers: None.
Blocked Shots: 2 (Billings 2).
Turnovers: 9 (Thornton 3, Hayes 2, Amihere, Billings, Burton, Chen).
Steals: 4 (Billings, Burton, Hayes, Thornton).
Technical Fouls: None.
A_18,064 (18,064).
'This role might be a little different, but I try to look at it as, I come in and give the most energy I can for my teammates and I just allow the game to come at me,' Thornton said. 'I don't try to go search for shots or anything, but mostly it generates from my defense, and it kind of just flows like that. But I don't do anything out the ordinary of what I haven't been doing for previous teams in New York or Dallas.'
Thornton's offensive game has blossomed with the Valkyries. She hasn't averaged double-digit points since 2019 with Dallas when she scored 10.4 per contest. Now at 32 years old, Thornton is scoring the most she ever has while shooting over seven times per game more than a season ago.
'She's a phenomenal basketball player, and you can learn a lot from KT and how she plays,' said second-year guard Kate Martin, who netted 11 points off the bench on Friday. 'I'm just really glad she's getting all the success that she's getting. She deserves it, and I'm thankful that I'm her teammate.'
On Friday, the Valkyries struggled to score early, shooting under 35% in every quarter until a 50% final frame. Thornton tallied eight of those points in the fourth, including her fourth 3-pointer with two minutes to go that effectively sealed the contest. She contributed to a 12-0 run over 1:45 that put Golden State ahead for good. She picked up her fifth foul early in the fourth, but Nakase didn't hesitate to keep her in the game.
'I looked at her, and I asked, 'I can trust you, right?'' Nakase said. 'She was like, 'let's go.' She played real smart, real intentional, she wasn't doing too much physicality. I thought she was being more vocal, she was screaming and commanding.'
Rookie Kaitlyn Chen scored 10 for the first time in her third WNBA contest. Two starters in Steph Talbot and Veronica Burton combined to go 0-for-11 while the Valkyries' scoring went cold, but 30 bench points and Thornton's monster game were enough for the Valkyries (8-7) to get past the lowly Sky.
'(Thornton has) done nothing but grow her game,' said Chicago guard Ariel Atkins, who led the Sky with 20 points. 'She is literally foundational to what that organization is building.'
Chicago (4-11) is not usually a 3-point threat, entering Friday with the third-worst shooting percentage from range at 30.4%. However, the Valkyries struggled to contain Chicago shooters early, even without having to account for the paint presence of Kamilla Cardoso, the Suns' inside threat who was absent due to FIBA Women's AmeriCup.
The late Valkyries run was sparked by a Martin 3-pointer. Monique Billings stole the ball on the next possession and scored a breakaway layup, then Martin hit another trey. Thornton followed up with a layup and Billings hit a pull-up jumpshot at the free-throw line for a 73-64 lead.
Tiffany Hayes knocked down two free throws with 22.1 seconds left to seal it after Angel Reese fouled her while down three points, but with just 14 seconds left on the shot clock for the Valkyries. Reese finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds.
Chicago entered Friday with the second-worst defensive rating in the league at 110.3, but the Valkyries struggled throughout the night to establish an offensive rhythm. The Valkyries capitalized on Sky miscues with 16 points off turnovers.
It was the kind of game the Valkyries don't win without Thornton. For all the talk of being a team without a star, the veteran forward sure is emerging as the Valkyries go-to scorer, defender and leader.
That is, at the very least, team-MVP kind of stuff.
'After the loss against New York, it was kind of personal for me,' Thornton said Wednesday's 81-78 defeat to the defending champions on Wednesday. 'So I just came in and had more oomph. But my teammates, like I play for them, I play for the city, I play for these wonderful fans out there that give us energy. So shout out to them, because they get me going. My teammates get me going. My coaches get me going, and I have the confidence from that.'